Marble game



N. T. BOYLE MARBLE GAME Filed Feb. 3, 1948 INVENTOR fi m 772 an TBoy'Ze TORNEYS Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a game apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact, economical apparatus affording a lively, interesting, and exciting game of skill which can be placed on any surface such as a table and played simultaneously by several contestants.

A further object is to provide a simple apparatus in which a plurality of players each with playing pieces at their command are trying to move an object piece into suitable opponents pockets for scoring purposes.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specification hereinafter set forth, especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

In brief and general terms the invention includes a simple receptacle which may be placed on a table, or other surface. It contains a pocket for a dislodgeable object piece such as a pingpong ball surrounded by a plurality of spaced continuous track elements on which the object piece may rest as it is moved about. The dislodgement of the object piece from its pocket is achieved by projecting at it playing pieces such as marbles so that it is moved out of the pocket and from track element to track element until it reaches the periphery of the receptacle where it may be projected into a chamber of which there are a series disposed around the walls of the receptacle. Preferably the bottom of the receptacle is divided into sections by partitions disposed below the track element and there is an objectpiece receiving chamber disposed adjacent the walls of the receptacle for each section and also a playing piece receiving chamber disposed adjacent the walls of the receptacle for each section to receive the marbles or playing-pieces as they drop between the track element on to the sloping bottom of the receptacle and move toward the periphery thereof.

In the play each player has a section with a pair of pockets, one for the marbles and the other for the ping-pong ball object piece. He projects the marbles at the ball and tries to move it into an opponents pocket. The marbles fall down between the track elements on to the bottom and roll to the periphery and into a playpiece receiving pocket which may be the players pocket or may be his opponents pocket. Therefore, whether a player can continue to play depends upon into which section the marbles drop after having been once played and if a player runs out of marbles he has to Wait until some marbles run into his pocket before he can continue. The game may be played by simultaneous action on the part of the players or each one may use all his marbles trying to get the ball intoan opponents pocket before the next player may proceed.

It is apparent that various and many rules can be provided for the play which, of course, has nothing to do with the mechanical invention herein involved except to make the game more or less exciting and interesting.

The present preferred embodiment of the invention, which is only one which the invention may assume, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the game is played.

Now, referring merely to the specific form of the apparatus shown in the drawings, it will be noted that there is provided an open-topped receptacle having side walls In and a bottom wall l i, said bottom wall sloping down from the center toward the outer periphery thereof, as shown. Disposed on the bottom wall H are a plurality of partition walls l2 of which four are shown in the herein form although it is to be understood that there may be more or less partitions as desired. The receptacle is shown as being circular in horizontal cross section although it is also to be understood that it may be of any other suitable sectional shape such as square or hexagonal. The partitions l2 extend from a common central point to the side walls In as shown.

Supported on top of the partitions l2 at their .meeting point or junction is a pocket element in the form of a circular ring I3 having outwardly sloping outer walls M. This pocket member may be of other shape if desired, than circular. It however, has an inner opening sufilcient in size to receive an object piece in the form of a ball I5 which is adapted at the start of the game to rest therein as shown in Fig. 2. This ball is preferably hollow and of light weight and usually is a ping-pong ball of light plastic material so that it can be easily dislodged and moved about within the receptacle.

Within the receptacle, supported on the partitions 12, and spaced from each other and the pocket element It are a plurality of continuous track members shown in the form of circular rings l8 each of which has an outer outwardly and downwardly sloping wall I! and an inwardly and downwardly sloping wall I8 as shown. The distance between the respective track members is such that the object ball may rest therein when dislodged from the pocket as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The curvature of these track walls just mentioned, will tend therefore to keep the ball is leaning toward the center of the receptacle when it rests upon the tracks as shown. The track elements It are all disposed at the same level within the receptacle corresponding to the level of the top of the pocket element l3.

Along the inner face of the walls 10 is disposed another track member IS in the form of a flat plate or ring which is supported on a cut-out recess or shoulder 28 at the ends of the several partitions Hi. The top of this outermost track element is is at a slightly lower level than those of the other track members.

The side walls 10 between the points where the ends of partitions l2 contact them are provided with suitable exit openings 2| leading to receiving-pocket walls 22 forming a chamber to receive the ball 15, if, as, and when, it may be projected through said opening 2! into said receivingchamber. The bottom of said receiving pocket or chamber is open and has a ball supporting strip 23 extending along the bottom thereof and having its upper surface sloping outwardly and downwardly as at 24 to prevent the ball 15, once in the pocket, from rolling back into the receptacle.

In each section of the receptacle formed by the partitions l2 and at the bottom of the walls Ill thereof are other openings 25, opening to a flat shelf 26 beneath the ball-receiving chambers 22 and adapted to receive playing elements such as small solid balls or marbles 21. These marbles or playing pieces are held in the hands of the players and projected at the object ball or pingpong ball !5 in the attempt to dislodge it from the pocket and move it into an opponents pocket or chamber 22. The marbles after leaving the hand and being projected toward the ball I5 may pass down between the ample spaces between the track elements 56 and fall on the sloping bottom of the receptacle whereupon they roll toward one of the exit openings 25 and onto one of the shelves 26.

In the play of the game there may be as many players as there are ball receiving pockets or chambers 22. There is, of course, a pocket for each section of the bottom formed between the partitions 12. In the play the players may take turns trying to dislodge the object piece l5 and to knock it into the pocket of another player or they may all play at once. As the object piece is dislodged it will momentarily rest between any two of the track elements l6 and be knocked around by the marbles or playing pieces which are projected at it by the players. Sooner or later the object piece will be moved into one of the pockets or chambers 22 and this may count on the score against the player whose pocket it is. The curvature or slope of the upper faces of the track elements IB are such that when the objeot piece is struck sharply while resting thereon it will have a tendency to bounce away at an upward angle and may thus carom oil the walls H! of the receptacle. In fact the movements of the object piece, especially if more than one player 4 is in action at the same time, is decidedly unpredictable.

The playing pieces or marbles 21 as they are projected at the object piece or ball I5 will naturally be reflected therefrom in indeterminate directions or may move otherwise if they miss the object piece. However, as they slow up they may pass down between the track elements IS on to the bottom I I and will then pass into one or another shelf 26 depending upon the section of the bottom into which they drop. It is therefore entirely possible for any particular player to start oil with several marbles to project at the object piece or ball and soon find himself without any marbles to play with because he may only use those he has in his hands or those which move onto the shelf disposed in his section of the receptacle. In this case he has to wait and must pass his play turn until a marble rolls into his receiving shelf. The game, it is apparent, has many possibilities of variation of play and scoring and should be quite interesting and exciting to play. The apparatus is extremely simple in construction and is susceptible of mass production at low cost.

While the invention has been described in detail and shown with respect to the accompanying drawing, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language and scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle, a pocket element disposed substantially at the center thereof and adapted to support a dislodgeable object piece, a plurality of spaced continuous track elements surrounding the pocket element and between it and the walls of the receptacle, a bottom to said receptacle, the spaces between said track elements being open to permit a playing piece projected at the object piece to drop there-between onto the bottom.

2. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle, a pocket element disposed substantially at the center of the receptacle and adapted to receive a dislod cable object piece, a plurality of spaced continuous track elements surrounding the pocket element and disposed above the bottom of the receptacle and disposed between the walls of the receptacle and the pocket element, the bottom of the receptacle being sloped toward the periphery thereof, the walls of the receptacle having a series of openings therein, leading to the bottom thereof, and a playing piece receiving chamber connected to each of said Openings, the spaces between the track elements being sunicient to permit playing pieces to drop there-between.

3. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle, a pocket element disposed substantially at the center of the receptacle and adapted to receive a dislodgeable object piece, a plurality of spaced continuous track elements surrounding the pocket element and disposed above the bottom of the receptacle at substantially the same level therein and between the walls of the receptacle and the pocket element, the bottom of the receptable being sloped toward the periphery of. the receptacle, the walls of the receptacle having a. series of openings therein leading to the bottom thereof, a playing-piece receiving chamber con- 7 nected to each of said openings, the walls of said receptacle having another series of openings therein at the level of the track elements and leading to said elements, and an object-piece receiving chamber connected to each of said last mentioned openings, the spaces between the track elements being sufficient to permit a playingpiece to drop there-between to the bottom.

4. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle, a sloping bottom therein, a series of partitions on said bottom dividing said receptacle into sections, a central pocket element supported on said partitions, a series of spaced continuous track elements resting on said partitions and disposed between the walls of the receptacle andthe pocket element, the spaces betweenthc track elements being sufficient to permit a playing-piece to drop there-between.

5. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle having side walls and a sloping bottom, a series of partitions on said bottom dividing said receptacle into sections, a central pocket element of ring-shape supported at the center of said partitions, a series of ring-like spaced track elements resting on said partitions and disposed between the walls of the receptacle and the pocket element, the spaces between the track elements being sufiicient to permit a playing marble to drop there-between, the pocket element adapted to receive a light weight ball therein, the outer sides of the pocket element and the track elements being sloped toward the walls of the receptacle and the top edges of the track elements being sloped toward the center of the receptacle.

6. A game apparatus which comprises a receptacle having side walls and a sloping bottom, a series of partitions on said bottom dividing said receptacle into sections, a central pocket element of ring-shape supported at the center of the partitions and adapted to receive a light Weight dislodgeable ball therein, a series of ring-like spaced track elements resting on said partitions at the same level as the pocket element and disposed between the Walls of the receptacle and the pocket element, the spaces between the track elements being suificient to permit a playing marble to drop there-between, the outer sides of the pocket element and the track elements being sloped toward the walls of the receptacle and the top edges of the track elements being sloped toward the center of the receptacle, said receptacle walls of the receptacle having an opening at the level of the track elements and the bottom in each section of the receptacle, and receiving chambers disposed adjacent said opening to receive respectively the ball and the marbles.

NORMAN T. BOYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,442,054 Dixon Jan. 16, 1923 1,798,900 Phillips (1) Mar. 31, 1931 1,914,316 Wheeler June 13, 1933 1,944,997 Phillips (2) Jan. 30, 1934 2,472,719 Mysels June 7, 1949 

